1-Amino-2-naphthalenecarboxylic Acid Derivatives are the intermediates of Dyes and Pigments useful in Peptide Synthesis. There is less literature available on preparation of 1-Amino-2-naphthalenecarboxylic Acid Derivatives. An article titled “Efficient Synthesis of 1-Amino-2-naphthalenecarboxylic Acid Derivatives via a Sequential Michael Addition/Enolate-Nitrile Coupling Route and Its Application to Facile Preparation of 9-Amino Analogues of Arylnaphthofuranone Lignans” by Kazuhiro Kobayashi et al, published in J. Org. Chem 1997, 62, 664-668, wherein, a method for the general preparation of 1-amino-2-naphthalenecarboxylates and nitrites, which is based on the tandem Michael addition/enotate-nitrite coupling reaction between alpha-lithio derivatives of 2-atkylbenzonitriles and alpha-beta unsaturated carboxylic acid derivatives is described.
The reaction of 2-(alpha-lithioalkyl)benzonitriles, generated in situ by treatment of 2-alkylbenzonitriles with LDA in diglyme, with alpha-beta unsaturated carboxylates and nitrites produced 1-amino-3,4-dihydro-2-naphthalenecarboxylates and carbonitriles in 54-98% yields through Michael addition of the lithio nitrites to alpha-beta unsaturated carboxylic acid derivatives, followed by zinc iodide-promoted intra molecular enolate-nitrile coupling of the resulting enolate intermediates. The dihydronaphthalenecarboxylic acid derivatives were converted to the corresponding 1-amino-2-naphthalenecarboxylic acid derivatives in 43-99% yields on dehydrogenation with palladium on activated carbon in refluxing p-cymene. The synthesis is depicted in scheme 1 below.

The process disclosed in the above prior art involves multiple steps and hence not feasible on industrial scale. Also, the process requires consumption of large quantities of hazardous chemicals with longer reaction time with less efficiency and narrow substrate scope.